Cutting device



June 29, 1937. H, B DWEL 2,085,079

CUTTING DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 19, 1936 INVENTOP H. BROADWELL ATTORNEY June 29, 1937. H, BROADWELL 2,085,079

CUTTING DEVICE Filed June 19, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 lNVENTOR By h.BROADWELL A 7' TORNEV June 29, 1937. H. BROADWELL CUTTING DEVICE FiledJune 19, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. I?

INVENTOR y H. BROADWELL 77m "(AM ATTORNEY Patented June 29, 1937 PATENTor ies CUTTING DEVICE Howard Broadwell, Ridgewood, N. 3., assignor toBell Telephone Laboratories, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., acorporation of New York Application June 19, 1936, Serial No. 86,060

6 Claims.

This invention relates to cutting devices and more particularly to acutting device for cutting notches in a disc.

To facilitate the establishing of telephone calls to frequently calledstations, repertory dialing devices have been devised for use attelephone stations. In some of the repertory dialing devices a code discfor each frequently called station is provided. A plurality of the codediscs are mounted on a common shaft and the shaft and the drivingmechanism of the repertory dialing device.

The object of this invention is to provide a cutting device for cuttingthe code discs of such repertory dialing devices, which will eliminateall 90 necessity of translating the subscribers codes from a series ofletters and numbers into a single series of numbers and counting offthese numbers with the required interdigital spacing and individuallybreaking off or removing the teeth in the form where teeth are used.

A feature of the invention resides in means in the cutting device forpositioning a code disc relative to a cutter in the. device.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of the cutting devicewith a disc ready to be cut, the disc being shown in outline;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the disc and a portion of the cuttingdevice, the disc having been moved to a first position for cutting;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the disc after severalcuts have been made;

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of the disc and aportion of the cutting device;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but taken from the opposite side ofthe device relative to Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a view of the same side of the device shown in Fig. 5 but withthe jaws and the operating parts of the device moved to a cutting posi-Fig. 7 is a view in perspective of a modification of the device, thecode disc being of somewhat different form to that shown in Figs. 1 to6, inclusive, and a portion of the modified cutting device being shown;

'7 and shown in somewhat reverse position relative to Fig. '7;

Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 9 but showing some of the parts movedto different positions;

Fig. 11 is a top plan view of portions of the apparatus shown in Figs. 1to 6, inclusive, and including an appliance for the cutting device; and

.Fig. 12 is a side elevational view of the portion of the structureshown in Fig. 11.

In Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive, and in Figs. 11 and 12 the code disc I is acomparatively thin disc which may be made of sheet brass or other sheetmaterial having sufficient stiffness and wearing qualities to serve as acode disc. Teeth 2 as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 11 are provided on theperipheral edge of the disc I, the teeth being all of the samedimensions and being separated by equal spacings. A portion of the discI is cut out to provide a radial slot 3, the slot 3 being comparativelywide and extending from the periphery of the disc I inwardly to a pointslightly beyond the axial center of the disc. The radial slot 3 is ofsufficient width to accommodate a driven shaft of a repertory dialingdevice, not shown, and the outer end of the radial slot 3 is widened at4 to permit ready placement of the disc I on the driven shaft of therepertory dialing device.

A spring 5 is provided on one face of the disc I, the spring beingremovably held in place thereon by means of spaced cups 6 secured to theface of the disc I. The spring 5 has movable leg portions I extendingover the inner end portion of the radial slot 3 and bent back so thatthe free ends 8 lie over the face of the disc i. The bent portions 9, 9of the spring 5 are displaceable and are moved away from each other whenthe disc I is being applied to a shaft of a repertory dialing device orto the cutting device and will spring back to normal position when thedisc I has been placed on the shaft or in the cutting device. The spring5, therefore, serves to hold the disc I in a required position on theshaft of the repertory dialing device or in the cutting device and willprevent accidental dislodgment of the disc I from its required position.

To make the disc I suitable for operating in the repertory dialingdevice, to send a required code signal, some of the teeth 2 on theperiphery of the disc I are removed or shortened at predetermined spacedpoints thus leaving, on the periphery of the disc, blocks of teeth atspaced intervals and notches separating the blocks of teeth. The notchesare made by removing or shortening the teeth at the requiredpredetermined points and these notches represent and provide theinterdigital pauses between the digit signals in the code. For instance,if a contact controlling member in a signalling system is controlled bymeans of the code disc I and is only permitted to send signals when thecontact controlling member is riding on the teeth 2 of the code disc anyportions of the code disc where the teeth 2 have been removed orshortened will cause cessation of the signals.

Toshortenor remove the teeth 2 at required predetermined points on acode disc I and thus obtain a code disc suitable for use in therepertory dialing device a disc I having its full equipment of teeth 2is placed in the cutting device as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and blocks ofteeth 2 at predetermined points are removed or portions of the teeth arecut off by the cutting device.

The cutting device is a hand-operated tool similar to a wellknown typeof hand-operated paper punch comprising handle members II! and I I and apair of parallel operating jaw members I2 and I3. Secured in the upperjaw I2 and extending downwardly through a guide hole in the lower jaw i3is a plunger III on the lower end of which is a cutter I5. The cutter I5is of rectangular shape and of sumcient length to cut oif apredetermined number of teeth in one shearing operation. Secured to thelower jaw I3 by means of the screws It, I6 is an L-shaped steel bar I!that extends parallel to and outwardly beyond the lower jaw I 3. Araised portion I8 is provided on the upper surface of the steel bar I!and in line with the cutting edge of the cutter I5 and a sharp edge isformed on the raised portion IS to cooperate with the cutting edge ofthe cutter I5. When the handles I, II of the cutting device are movedtoward each other, the cutter I moves past the sharpened edge of theraised portion I8 and any portions of teeth 2 of a code disc I caughttherebetween are sheared oif.

To hold a. code disc I in position in the cutting device a stud I8 isprovided on the steel arm H. The stud I9 extends upwardly from the freeend of the steel arm I? to a point slightly above the level of the uppersurface of the raised portion I8 and has two spaced flanges 2G, 28formed on its upper end. The diameter of the stud I9 between the spacedflanges 20, is the same as the diameter of the driven shaft of arepertory dialing device and is: therefore adapted to receive the lowthe lowermost flange 20 on the stud is an indexing segment 2i for movingthe code disc I to required positions for cutting. The segment 2! ispressed upwardly against the lowermost flange 29 on the stud I8 by meansof a coiled return spring 22, the spring being coiled around the stud I9and having one end 23 bent over against an edge of the steel bar I1 andthe other end 24 hooked over and engaging an arm 25 of the segment 2i.The spring 22 is tensioned to normally swing the segment 2| in acounterclockwise direction relative to its point of support on the studI9.

The segment 2i extends back from its; point of support on the stud I9 toa point directly beyond the raised portion I8 on the steel bar II'andthe upper surface of the segment 25 normally lies in the same plane asthe upper surface of the raised portion IS. The wide end of the segmentZI is an arcuate band 26 which is disposed and slides beneath the heelof the cutter I5 and is located outside of the periphery of the codedisc I when the code disc I is in position in the cutting device.

An arm 21 of the segment 2I has an upturned lug 28 equal in width to thewidth of the slot 3 in the code disc I. When the code disc I is firstplaced in the cutting device the lug 28 is positioned in the slot 3 toinsure correct positioning of the segment 2i relative to the code disc Ifor the starting of the cutting operations. On the top face of thearcuate band 2'5 of the segment 2I are inscribed letters: and numerals29 for indicating points of setting for the segment and code discnecessary to obtain a required cutting. The segment 2I is provided onits arm 25 with an up wardly projecting lug 30, which in the normalposition of the parts engages between adjacent teeth 2 on the code discI to move that member into the cutting position required to obtain thecutting indicated by the index 29 on the face of the segment 2 I.Secured to the lower face of the steel bar I! by means of the screws I6,I6 is a holding spring 3! provided on its free end with an ear or lug 32having a suitably, beveled end; that engages between adjacent'teeth 2 onthe. code disc I to hold the code disc I against undesired movement bythe spring 22. The free end of the spring 3| carrying the lug 32 ispermitted limited vertical movement by reason of a comparatively largeaperture 33 and a comparatively small diameter stud 34. Movement of thefree end of the spring SI to withdraw the lug 32 from engagement withthe teeth 2 of the code disc I is brought about by manually pressingdownwardly on a tab 35 which extends downwardly from the free end of thespring 3| and beneath the steel bar I'I. Since the free end of thespring 3I is capable of limited movement and the lug 32 is bent over onits end and is only just long enough to engage the teeth 2 of the discI, the disc I may be manually rotated in a clockwise direction byapplying sufficient force to the disc to displace the free end of thespring so that the lug 32 is moved downwardly from engagement with theteeth 2. The spring 3!, however, prevents accidental movement of thedisc I. If in turning the disc I, however, the disc is moved beyond adesired point release of the lug 32 from engagement with the teeth topermit movement of the disc I in a counter-clockwise direction may beaccomplished by manually pressing downwardly on the tab 35 asabovementioned.

The segment 2I is adapted to be moved downwardly as a whole slightly andto be tilted relative to its pivotal point of support by operation ofthe cutting device. For obtaining this movement when the jaws I2 and I3of the cutting device are in their closedposition a downward-v 1yextending release member 36 is attached to the upper jaw I2 of thecutting device. l'he release member 36 has a slotted lower end 31extending transversely about the edge of the ar cuate band 26 of thesegment 2I in the form of a V jacent teeth 2 of the code disc Ipreparatory to the positioning of the code disc to a new position forcutting. When the jaws are returning to normal position the releasemember 36 presses upwardly against the lower surface of the arcuate band26 of the segment 2! and lifts the lug thereon into engagement with thedisc there- -by insuring return of the segment 2i to its normal plane. Acombined guard and index point member 33 is provided on the outer end ofthe jaw I3 of the cutting device. The guard and index member 38 isL-shaped and has a front portion 39 extending downwardly above the upperface of the disc I to prevent raising of the outer portions or" the discI when the cutter is being withdrawn or the disc is being rotated to arequired position. This front portion also serves to hold the disc whenthe segment is reengaged therewith. A side portion ii? of the member 33extends downwardly toward the arcuate band 25 of the segment 25 andserves as an index point for gauging the extent of rotation of thesegment 2|.

To cut a disc I so that it may be used as a code disc in a repertorydialing device, a code disc I having its full complement of teeth 2 isplaced in the cutting device by sliding the slotted portion 3 about thestud I9 and between the flanges 20, 20 until the bent portions 9, 9 ofthe spring 5 have passed the stud I9 and the stud I9 extends through theinnermost portion of the slot 3. In doing this the lug 28 on the segmentZI must lie in the slot 3. The segment 2! is then manually rotatedagainst the action of the spring 22 by grasping an upwardly turned lugti and swinging the segment 2i about its point of support on the studI9. In doing this the disc I is rotated by reason of the engagement ofthe lug 3D with the teeth 2 of the disc I. The disc I and the segmentare rotated until the index figures on the arcuate band 2s andcorresponding to the desired code setting come in line with the indexpoint 30. The handles It and II are then manually pressed toward eachother to move the cutter I5 against the teeth 2 and to shear ofi theteeth at the required point. When the handles are slightly released thesegment 2i is automatically returned to normal position by means of thespring 22 since in a slightly released position the release member 36 isstill sufficiently pressing the segment 2| downwardly to preventengagement of the lug 33 with the teeth 2 of the disc 5. When thehandles are fully released the lug Bil rises into engagement with theteeth 2 of the disc I. The disc 2 is held during the return movement ofthe segment 2I by the lug 32 on the free end of the spring 3i. Bymanually rotating the segment 2i again to another required position thedisc is moved to another required position for cutting. In Fig. 3 theteeth 2 have been sheared at five required points and the segment 2i hasreturned to normal position.

It will be seen, therefore, that by simply moving, successively, thesegment 2! to points where desired markings on the segment M are broughtinto line with the portion it of the index point 38 and by pressing thehandles it and II toward each other to operate the cutter It as eachpoint is reached a disc I may be cut to provide a code disc having teethand spaces at predetermined points.

In the modification illustrated in Figs. 7, 8, 9 and 10 certain partsare identical with parts shown in the figures above described. Theseparts, therefore, are identified by the same numerals used inidentifying them in the other figures. The modified form shows aperforated disc 42 which may be used in place of the disc I abovedescribed. A pin 43 is provided on the arm 25 of the segment 21 to takethe place of the lug 30, the pin 33 being adapted to engage theperforations id in the disc 12 when the disc n is to be rotated. Bymoving the segment 2i and operating the cutting device, portions of theperiphery of the disc 42 may be cut out to provide raised portions 45and notches 45 as shown in Fig. 8. To take the place of the lug 32 onthe spring 3! a pin All is provided as shown in Figs. 9 and 19. The pinl! engages the perforations Mi and prevents accidental movement of thedisc 32. A slot 28 and a screw it permit limited movement of the end ofthe spring which corresponds to the spring 3| in Figs. 5 and 6.

In some cases discs are required with a comparatively large number ofcuttings and it is found necessary to substitute teeth or perforationsfor the space taken by the radial slot at the point 3 in the disc duringthe cutting opera tion in order that the disc may be further rotated inthe cutting device. To take care of such cases a filler-piece 5| asshown in Figs. 11 and 12 is provided for application to the cuttingdevice. The filler-piece 5! is an arm pivotally supported on the stud I9directly above the segment 2i. The filler-piece 5| is the same width asthe slot 3 and is raised for the greater portion of its length to lie inthe same plane as the disc I. The free end of the filler-piece 5| isapertured or is provided with teeth to correspond to the apertures orteeth in the code disc. In Fig. 11, teeth 52 are provided to correspondto the teeth 2 in the disc I. Spaced plates 53, 53 are secured to thefiller-piece 52 by rivets 5d. The spaced plates are wider than thefiller-piece 5i and are adapted to receive edge portions of the disc Iadjacent the slot 3. A pin 55 extending upwardly from the segment 2!enters an aperture 56 in the filler-piece 5| and holds the filler-pieceSi in a required position to fill the slot 3 when the disc I is appliedto the cutting device. The filler-piece 5| rotates with the disc Iduring the cutting operations and the teeth 52 take the place of theteeth 2 in the space in which no teeth are provided on the disc. Thedisc I, therefore, may be rotated to the same extent as if teeth wereprovided all around its periphery instead of having a space with noteeth such as the slot 3. It is obvious, therefore, that by using thefillerpiece M on the cutting device additional cuts may be made in thedisc I.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for cutting code discs which comprises a cutting blade, arotatable disc engaging element for engaging and advancing the discrelative to said blade, means for actuating said blade to cause saiddisc to be cut and said disc engaging element to be disengaged from saiddisc.

2. A device for cutting code discs which comprises a cutting blade, arotatable disc engaging element for engaging and advancing the discrelative to said blade, means for actuating said blade, and meanscontrolled by the movement of said blade actuating means for restoringsaid disc engaging element to its normal position.

3. A device for cutting code discs which comprises a cutting blade, arotatable disc engaging element for engaging and advancing the discrelative to said blade, means for actuating said blade, and meanseffective upon the actuation and release of said blade actuating meansfor restoring said disc engaging element to normal position.

4. A device for cutting code discs which comprises a cutting blade,means for operating said blade, a rotatable disc engaging element toengage and rotate a disc relative to said blade and automatic returnmeans in engagement with said rotatable disc engaging element to returnsaid disc engaging element to normal position.

5. A device for cutting code discs which comprises a cutting blade,means for operating said blade, a manually operated disc engagingelement to engage and rotate a disc relative to said blade, automaticreturn means to return. said disc engaging element to normal positionand holding means engaging said disc during return movement of said discengaging element to prevent return of said disc to normal position.

said segment and a filler-piece rotatable with the disc and extendinginto the radial slot in the disc, said filler-piece providing means forrotating the disc beyond its normal extent of movement.

HOWARD BROADWELL.

